Standing Around

Princess' latest pasttime has been standing. She used to be happy just sitting and playing on the floor. She wants to be more and more mobile. She's pulling up to standing now. She's happy leaning on something, or holding my fingers and just standing around. The other day, she tipped her toy basket out, and then upside down, and used it to stand.

Heaven-Sent Helpers

So, the busy week before Little One's birthday consisted of several happenings: Dr. appointments, birthday shopping, weekly project rendevous with my wonderful sister (in-law), YW volleyball, the youth overnighter, primary activity, house cleaning/party prep, and watching my cute nephew overnight.

One was the Youth Overnighter. We went to the stake camp and had leadership training, food, and fun. These pics are of building towers of 3X5 cards and paper clips, dinner, and "the stick game." We had a blast.

Here's cute nephew "Cae-bub" playing with "my baby 'E'."

When his mom came to get him, she saw the leaf-covered lawn that I had no time to consider. I had accepted it was to remain through the party. While I went back into the house to keep cleaning, she and Cae-bub raked the entire front yard (which held almost all the leaves from our two maple trees). Here's how much fun they had. Thanks so much to my "Heaven-sent helpers!"

Eight also means Cub Scouts

Little One has been SOOOOOO . . . excited to start cub scouts. He couldn't wait to put on his uniform. He begged to wear it early, and on days inbetween. He's taken his scout book to bed to look through before falling asleep. I asked him to show me how he felt about scouts in the picture below. The other one is him being introduce up front in his first pack meeting.

It's great to be 8

Wow, Little One is now 8 years old! Of course we had a birthday party. His cake was a figure 8 racecar track.

We had a race car driver relay race, played with bubbles, played the candy bar game, ate pizza, cake and ice cream, and watched LO open presents. Here's pics of the race car relay (they had to don helmets, "race" goggles, and a car facade, and run around the big red maple tree).





Opening an Indiana Jones Lego set (One thing his heart was set on).

Little One's biological brother and sister came too. We had a busy, fun-filled day: We actually started the day up the canyon, camping. (Mutual overnighter), then got LO home in time for the primary activity, had his birthday party, and finished the day out with attendance at the neighbor's baptism (12 yr. old). [With days like this, now you know why it took so long to post Halloween pics!]

Trick or Treat

Yes, I'm finally getting around to posting my Halloween pics! But you all know me . . . I'll leave it at that.

Little One was Peter Pan. That inspired the rest of our costumes. Princess was, of course, Tinkerbell. I was Wendy, and CE was going to be Captain Hook.
We went to our church for the Trunk-or-Treat, then Little One hit a few houses on our street. I was crushed that Princess couldn't come since she'd not been feeling well. When it was time to leave, she was still taking her afternoon nap. That means CE got out of dressing up as Captain Hook (he stayed with Princess).

I helped out with Little One's class party, which turned out well with a Shape walk, math game, coloring, cookies, and bag decorating.




This is Angel with his friend, the pirate Cody, at our Trunk or Treat.

Tinkerbell, getting a feel for her wings.

On Sunday, Nov. 2nd, we went to Grandma J's for dinner. All the kids wore their Halloween costumes. This is my Neverland kids at Grandma's.

This is one with the two fairy's (Princess and Uncle T's baby) hanging out with a little dragon (Aunt J's baby).

I love doing something fun to change up the routine on holidays. We had Eggs in a basket for breakfast (cut a hole out of your bread, and fry an egg in the middle), but I used cookie cutters to cut the hole. Little One doesn't like eggs in a basket, so I just put a shape in his toast, and made his egg a ghost.

For dinner, we had mummies and fries (thanks Deseret News). I just wrapped canned buiscuts, rolled in long ropes around the hot dogs, with mustard eyes.

Updates with Princess

Lori requested more pics of Princess . . . so here's what she's been up to:

When she wakes up, and I pull her out of her crib, she almost always stares at and/or reaches for the big stuffed animals on her dresser . . . I got both the bears down for her this day. She loves to look at them. She loves everything soft.

When Princess is playing on the floor, I get out a few toys and put them in front of her to play with. However, she now knows where the toys are coming from . . . the toy basket. She loves to work her way to the basket, and pull it over, dumping the toys on the floor, and allowing for her exploration of more toys as she digs into the basket. I find her more and more often with the basket sideways, and her head and arms inside it.

Princess loves to be outdoors. This was taken after she hung out with me, working in the garden. She also enjoys being in it while we hike. She'll kick her feet and smile as we trek up the mountain.

I love my toes! I like to eat them. I LOVE to pull my sock off, especially when I'm waiting around in my carseat!

Princess is getting more and more mobile. She rolls everywhere in every direction. She scoots, mostly backwards, and I can't help but wonder how she moved from point A to point B. The other day, I put her on the hardwood floor in the hallway, and she scooted backward several feet. She's scooting forward more and more though. She does the army crawl. She's also getting on her hands and knees and rockin', but not crawling just yet.

It's getting chilly outside . . . here's Eden showing off her pretty pink coat and white cords with pink fur that matches the coat.

Here she's sporting her two pigtails.

She is laughing and smiling more and more. Today she was giddy since her nap was disturbed. I was changing her diaper and tried to shake open the wipe with one hand (the other was holding her legs up). She giggled. So I shook it again . . . giggle . . . shake . . . giggle.

A favorite pasttime is hanging out with her favorite big brother, Little One.

Sunday with Grandpa

My mom has recently been back to West Virginia (the 4th time this year). Grandma D has had heart trouble among other things, and was in the hospital for a while. Usually conversations home are held in the majority with Mom. While she was gone, I've had more of a chance to catch up with my dad. I've called to check on him, and had him up for Sunday dinner. I went and hung out ALL afternoon and evening one Saturday. I've enjoyed talking to him more.

Stereotypical men would play whilst the wife was away . . . watch sports all the time, ordering pizza, leaving the house a mess until the last minute . . . Well my dad's not stereotypical. Every time I've talked to him, he tells me what he's been up to: taking apart the air unit to have the motor fixed, working in his garden, mowing the lawn, readying the furnace for the cold season, working in his garden, making vegtable soup (extremely delicious . . . I got to taste it!), canning, yes, canning, drying apples . . . . What a guy! My hat off to you DAD! You're my hero. I love you DAD!!

Here are some pictures from when he came up for Sunday dinner and played Mormon Bridge: